Descent has become oddly obscure for a game that was kind of a big deal in its own time. It's basically Doom but you can fly in any direction, as you control a ship through mines dug throughout the solar system, destroying robots that have run amok with some mysterious virus. It has a bit of a cyberpunk vibe in that you're forced to do this mission by an omnipotent corporation that simply wants its stuff protected - your character is only ever referred to as "material defender".
The game's level design shows no sign of temerity. The creators really embraced the "six degrees of freedom" concept and pretzeled things up as well as they could imagine, so frequent double-checking of the map is a good idea, and figuring the quickest route to the level exit is a necessity since you have a time limit to escape after destroying the main reactor in each level.
The graphics are quite nice, especially when playing the game through the DXX Rebirth source port, and there's a nice selection of weapons from which to select. The game is perhaps a bit more confusing than it needs to be and there is something dry about blasting robots throughout the game's duration. Overall, it's a game that impresses greatly at its outset and then gradually becomes a little tedious by the time it ends.
